Gold Kiwifruit Hope Growing Well in Psa Red Zone

Psa has devastated Dave Marshall’s ZespriGold crop (left), while his ENZAGold crop (right) on the same orchard is growing well .

23 February 2012

News Release

Gold Kiwifruit Hope Growing Well in Psa Red Zone

Video Footage taken at Dave Marshall's orchard is available via the links below:

YouTube link for embedding: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkzVUDJXxMc&feature=youtu.be

Link to download video with titles: https://rcpt.yousendit.com/1386233122/fd85332caede57a1e4419aafc35d5d0d

Link to raw video without titles including cutaway footage: https://rcpt.yousendit.com/1386311490/92ebbd9a0137cafb75564470b22ab0b2

Link of both videos for higher resolution media: https://rcpt.yousendit.com/1384685896/ff2b26658064cfd7ab19988faa3eb581

In the heart of Te Puke’s Psa Red Zone an orchard of Hort 16A (ZespriGold) kiwifruit is one of the latest to fall prey to the virulent Psa-V bacteria. The disease has left the vines withering, the leaves dry and the fruit worthless; when it should be weeks away from harvest.

Metres away on the same orchard a crop of ENZAGold kiwifruit is growing well with little sign of the infection that has decimated the Bay of Plenty’s gold kiwifruit crop. This orchard is the first in New Zealand to show the impact of Psa-V on the two varieties growing side by side.

Looking out on his crop of ENZAGold, David Marshall is cautiously optimistic that this could be a potentially viable gold variety that can be farmed through Psa. In fact this season production from his ENZAGold crop is increasing. In line with projections, the crop in its second year is on track to jump in production from 6000 to 14000 trays per hectare. While Marshall estimates he will lose 50% or more of his ZespriGold crop to Psa.

“It’s absolutely heart breaking to see all the hard work and investment in the ZespriGold going to waste, but on top of that, I have all this beautiful fruit right next door and it’s doing so well, but growers cannot freely export it.”

Under the Kiwifruit Export Regulations 1999, only Zespri is allowed to export kiwifruit from New Zealand to markets other than Australia and it has just two varieties; the classic green ‘Hayward’ kiwifruit which was uneconomic for many growers even before Psa with returns below the cost of production, and ZespriGold which has been a cash cow for the industry but now according to some industry figures could, and should, be completely cut out as soon as possible to lower the pressure from the airborne bacteria.

Lee Hoggard another ENZAGold grower wants immediate action to curb the spread of the bacteria, “The fact of the matter is that the Hort16A vines must go. The sooner we cut out every vine in the country and start again the better. Because while our other varieties are showing pretty good resistance to Psa at thisstage, every time it rains the air becomes a toxic soup of Psa inoculum. Sowe’re continually have to spend more on sprays and disease management to keep our orchards safe.

“When it comes to allowing other potentially viable gold varieties for export, Zespri and the Government have got blinkers on. I’m worried they’d sooner let the whole industry go down than let people sell other varieties overseas. Surely they must realise it’s not about the monopoly debate anymore, it’s about the survival of growers and the industry.”

David Marshall initially planted the ENZAGold alongside the ZespriGold because hethought it important to spread his risk across different varieties. Looking out on his orchard, he thinks all growers must do the same.

Chris Dunn, another grower agrees it would be dangerous going down the same road of having the entire crop coming from a narrow group of genetics from Zespri’s breeding programme, especially since no-one can guarantee a variety 100% resistant to Psa or indeed other future unknown diseases.

“The thing with horticulture” Dunn says, “is that you need biodiversity to ensure a safe future. If we get into the same situation where we have a monoculture again, a year down the track we could find ourselves in the same boat. The ZespriGold crop in Italy was decimated by Psa, but across their national crop they had several different varieties, so they’re coming through it. Our industry as a whole needs to spread the risk and invest in several viable varieties and orchardists themselves should also be growing at least two or three varieties for the same reason.”

Turners & Growers, Managing Director Jeff Wesley who deals directly with international supermarkets knows that the international fresh produce trade is all about relationships. “When there’s a void, someone will fill it. There will be a lot of big overseas players rubbing their hands together right now, if New Zealand Gold kiwifruit is off the shelves for too long another country willfill that space and we’ll be left on the sideline. Every year that passes, and we are talking in years, it’ll be harder for New Zealand kiwifruit to get back in.”

Wesley believes that allowing kiwifruit growers to graft over to a range of different varieties, which are showing potential to be farmed through in a Psa environment, is the only way forward. “One look at David Marshall’s orchard will show you why.”

“We have three commercially proven varieties that have an established and fast growing market around the world and ENZAGold will increase production this season from orchards in the Red Zone.

“Decisions this winter will be critical to the survival of many kiwifruit orchardists. If they can’t graft over to new gold varieties this year, they may not survive. We have plenty of vine stock, which in most cases can be grafted directly onto the grower’s existing rootstock and be producing within two years.”

Back on his orchard David Marshall is left to ponder this season and the seasons to come. “When I look at these two varieties growing here side by side, I can see the past and what could be the future. I’m one of the lucky ones with a viable gold variety to harvest this year. Other kiwifruit orchardists in this areaneed that ray of hope.”

ENDS

About Turners & Growers:

Sells approximately of $1 billion of fresh produce globally each year

45 companies worldwide in the Turners & Growers Group including ENZA

New Zealand’s leading distributor, marketer and exporter of premium fresh produce

The largest corporate horticulture investor in New Zealand

The largest grower of new apple varieties and hothouse tomatoes

Own the largest network of fresh produce markets in New Zealand facilitating more than 200 million kilograms of fresh fruit and vegetables every day

One of the largest operators of fruit cool stores and pack houses throughout New Zealand

Operates a specialized fresh produce transport fleet in New Zealand that travels more than 4 million kilometers every year

About ENZA:

New Zealand’s largest apple exporter

Sells fruit in more than 60 countries

Grows apples in 12 countries

One of the world’s best known produce brands

Key supplier of fresh produce to 22 of the world’s top 25 retailers

Owns the rights to new global varieties including JAZZ™and ENVY™ apples and ENZARed and ENZAGold Kiwifruit.

Merged with Turners & Growers in 2003 to create global growing and distribution network.

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